Origins

Alcamo’s origins can be traced back to ancient times when, on the top of Monte Bonifato, around at VII century A.C., a people called Elimi, coming from Anatolia, settled there. Soon after, Romans arrived and chose this territory for its strategic position, the good weather conditions, the landscape and the presence of valleys. When the Roman empire fell, the territory was subjected to the Barbarian invasions and the beginning of Byzantine domination. When Arabs arrived, the residential area moved to the foot of Monte Bonifato and changed its name in Alqamah. In the XII centrury, Muslims lived in mere agglomerations of houses but, then, they organized a proper residential centre based on feudal structure. From that moment, the latin influence spread again in the territory and, with the Normans domination, it was christianized. Under the power of Federico II di Svevia (1230-1250), Alcamo lives a great period of culture and literature; a famous poet, Ciullo or Cielo D’Alcamo wrote his poetry “Rosa fresca aulentissima” which is known as the most interesting masterpiece in Italian language that gave to the name of Alcamo the honor to be held in high consideration in every part of Italy. The important trasformation, from a mere agglomerate of houses to the birth of a real city, took place only in the XV century, when the territory was occupied by hundreds of ethnic groups which, today, consist of 3000 inhabitans: a land of immigrants coming from different parts of Sicily and from other places like Pisa, Amalfi, Bologna, Calabria, Liguria, Spagna. From 1574 to 1575, Alcamo knew a great period of culture, especially in architecture but when the plague strucked the town, it killed about an half of the population. Only after the XVIII century, the population increased its number to 13000 inhabitans. 1812, 1820,1848 and 1860 are unforgettable years during which Alcamo, together with other Sicilian cities, fought for the revolutionary sentiment in favour of an unified Italy. On 21 July 1943, American troops arrived in Alcamo largely unopposed. From the sixties, the city plan has enlarged more and more especially around the Monte Bonifato where there is, today, the Viale Europa, the main street running through Alcamo. But, the heart of the city is the historical centre with its important monuments and many shops.